The Beautiful Evening At The End Of The World

the beautiful evening at the end of the world

I try to imagine it, the skies turning orchid the elegant gathering on the terraces to watch the summer constellations little girls staying up late in fresh pique, pink or green or blue

• • • or gazing at the moon as though it would never be enough

      gazing

      there could never be enough gazing to see it in the way that

      it shone and who lit the lantern then was it Rousseau

      you can see the poem would flow better in French

      except that I know that lantern the silver one was was lit by God

      as well as the daylight sun, his golden one

      they are a matched set though in the beautiful evening only

      one is visible depending on the angle of clouds or if suddenly

      you should brush the mist from your eyes

      at the thought of leaving

      the beautiful earth on the beautiful evening

      how I would like to be by the side of the house I grew up in

      near the gardenias and the skies so thick with stars as they were

      back then

      I would say another word to God such as oh let there be gardenias in

      Heaven

      the music of Ravel of Debussy’s cathedral

      submerged again in music

      in music that never ends.

      and the houses lit within.

      mary angela douglas 11 june 2021